From a glittering trophy to the Padma Shri award - The story of Dronavalli Harika
GM Harika Dronavalli was conferred with the Padma Shri Award on 11th March 2019. Honorable President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented the award at a special function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in India after Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. It is given to an Indian citizen for their contribution in various spheres of activity including the arts, education, industry, literature, science, sports, medicine, social service, and public affairs. In this article we take you through the journey of Harika's life - how she began playing chess, how she persevered, how she and her family took bold decisions and finally how she excelled at the sport to be where she is right now - an inspiration to the entire chess and sporting community of India.